How To Teach Your Children About Eating Well This Child Vision Awareness Month

How To Teach Your Children About Eating Well This Child Vision Awareness Month

We can express emotions and experience so much of the world through our eyes. Your eyes filter colors and shapes sent to the brain to process and help us interpret the world around us.

Vision often is taken for granted, but it shouldn't! 6.8% of children younger than 18 years in the U.S. have a diagnosed eye and vision condition. Every June, Child Vision Awareness Month encourages people to spread awareness to ensure no child suffers from vision problems.

This Child Vision Awareness Month, learn ways to encourage your children about eye health.

Here are five teachable steps to help keep children's eyes healthy.

1. Rest the eyes. Don't allow your children to spend hours on an electronic device. Children should walk away from the screen for at least 10 minutes every hour.
2. Increase time outside. Spending time outdoors can help protect against myopia by increasing dopamine release in the eye in response to sunlight.
3. Get regular checkups. Don't skip those eye exams! School-aged children should have eye exams about every two years. 
4. Intake eye-healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, and fatty fish.
5. Get adequate sleep. Rest gives your body time to restore and renew your eyes, leading to better, clearer eyesight and improved eye lubrication.

What does an eye-healthy diet look like? 

Nutrition is an excellent way to promote children's eye health during Child Vision Awareness Month. Teaching your children while they are young instills healthy habits that may last a lifetime. While kids' eyes are still developing, proper nutrition for optimal vision is essential. Parents can help by making eye-healthy foods a regular part of their diet. Consider adding foods high in nutrients like zinc, vitamin C, vitamin E, lutein, and omega-3 fatty acids.

• Leafy, green vegetables: spinach and kale. Don't be afraid to hide these in a smoothie!
• Oily fish: tuna, salmon, and mackerel. Kids will love a yummy tuna melt.
• Citrus fruits and Berries: oranges, lemons, blueberries. These are the perfect snacks for summertime and the lunchbox during the school year. 
• Vegetables: carrots, broccoli, and beets. It's ok to have them dip them in ranch dressing to make it more fun. Add this cute tray to make it memorable.
• Seafood and meat: oysters and pork. The kids may not love oysters, but they will probably gobble up a pork slider. 
• Protein (non-meat options): beans, nuts, seeds, and eggs. Add some nuts into that fun snack tray alongside those veggies.

Eating a healthy diet will have numerous benefits far beyond eye health. But getting the proper nutrition for children's eye health helps protect a child's eyes from damage. If you have a picky eater, you may want to start by offering them a few healthy choices at each meal. Keep the healthy snacks stored in the refrigerator at children's eye level. Have fruit already cut up into bite-size pieces and ready to eat. 

While the kiddos are home this summer, it's essential to double-check that you have anything that may be poisonous out of their reach, all while encouraging healthy eating habits for Child Vision Awareness Month. If you're ready to audit what's in your kitchen, check out our blog for more poison prevention tips.